Tag: replacement

Samsung’s new Galaxy S9 and S9+ handsets claimed the spotlight on Thursday as the first reviews of the smartphones surfaced. The general consensus appears to be that these new models successfully built on past designs, yet fell short in numerous areas. The new phones are good — but anyone expecting revolutionary functionality may be disappointed. Those who upgraded to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ last year may not find impressive-enough changes to upgrade to the S9 and S9+, many reviewers suggested.TechNewsWorld

Apple confirmed in December that it does slow older iPhones as their batteries age and are unable to handle a full load. The company is currently offering users a discounted rate for battery replacements, giving users the opportunity to return to full power.

A new video shared today offers a great look at just how noticeable the performance difference is between an iPhone 6s with performance throttling, and one with a brand new battery just replaced by Apple…

A video posted to YouTube over the weekend compares the operating performance of an iPhone 6s before and after its battery is replaced, demonstrating in real time the nominal gains users can expect to see when a device is no longer software throttled.AppleInsider – Frontpage News

Major US cell phone carriers are working on a mobile authentication system that could create a new open standard. Under the banner of the Mobile Authentication Taskforce, AT&amp;T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon say they have a solution which could rol…Engadget RSS Feed

The Google Pay app is now live in the Play Store. The app is an update to the old Android Pay app and features two tabs: Home and Cards.

Inside the Home tab you’ll find the ability to quickly pay with a selected card, your recent activity, nearby stores, and rewards cards. The Cards tab is home to your credit and debit cards as well as your loyalty programs, offers, and gift cards.

Google says that it’s planning to add the ability to send and request money with Google Pay, too, with that feature launching in the US and UK in the next few months. Until then, Google’s old Wallet app is being rebranded to Google Pay Send.

Google has been in the mobile payments game for a while, first with Google Wallet and then with Android Pay. Now it’s got a new effort called Google Pay, giving its mobile payment service a broader name and a fresh coat of paint. And soon it’ll combine its Google Wallet functionality into Google Pay, too, giving you one app for paying and for sending money.

After six years at HTC, Chialin Chang – current President of Smartphone and Connected Devices Business has resigned, citing a “personal career plan”. Rumor has it he plans to start an AI company. What’s troubling is that HTC CEO Cher Wang hasn’t named a successor for Chang and that he has left the company on the eve of the HTC U12’s launch. The resignation also comes under a month after HTC sold off the Pixel design team to Google. HTC has been struggling to make a buck from its phones, finalizing its 10 consecutive losing quarter. We hope HTC manages to turn things around, but…

KGI continues to double-down on its claims on what the 2018 iPhone lineup will comprise. The 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will apparently resemble the iPhone X with a similar full-screen design but at a more accessible price for customers; the analyst expects this new iPhone to be priced to replace iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, as cheap as $ 699.

The LCD 6.1-inch iPhone will use slightly less premium components, such as an aluminium frame instead of stainless steel. Nevertheless, given that it looks like a top-end iPhone in style, KGI believes the lower entry point will make it Apple’s most popular 2018 device and see total sales around 100 million units.

Microsoft is allowing users to sign into their computers using an authenticator app instead of a password, as part of testing of Windows 10 S that effectively eliminates the stripped-down version of the operating system in favor of a new mode for all Windows 10 variants.AppleInsider – Frontpage News

After acknowledging that it hampers performance on older iPhone models with degraded batteries, Apple has been struggling to regain its footing. Not only does the company currently face upwards of 40 class-action lawsuits, its actions also attracted the attention of the DOJ and the SEC. In an effort to address the situation, Apple a few weeks back instituted a battery replacement program whereby impacted users can receive a fresh battery for $ 29.

We’ve learned since that demand for new iPhone batteries has been strong, as Apple outlined in a response letter to lawmakers earlier this month. While the ability to swap out an old battery for a new one is great for consumers, it may not be so great for Apple’s bottom line. In a revised note investor note, obtained by Business Insider, Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz explained that Apple’s iPhone battery replacement program might help cannibalize iPhone sales.

While it remains to be seen how iPhone upgrade rates shake out for the quarter, Moskowtiz’s argument is certainly well-reasoned. As he explains it, if current iPhone owners can simply receive a brand new battery for $ 29 — and in effect get a device that’s as good as new — the impetus to upgrade to a new device entirely is necessarily diminished.

“If sustained,” Moskowitz writes, “then we think the prospect of that sought-after super cycle showing up is even less likely.”

Moskowitz previously speculated that Apple’s batterygate scandal could end up costing the company billions in lost revenue.

For what it’s worth, Tim Cook during Apple’s most recent earnings conference call explained that Apple did not take upgrade rates into account when establishing the battery replacement program.

“We did not consider in any way, shape, or form, what it would do to upgrade rates,” Cook said last week. “We did it because we thought it was the right thing to do for our customers. And sitting here today, I don’t know what effect it will have. And again, it’s not and was not in our thought process of deciding to do what we’ve done.”

Taking a more optimistic view of Apple’s iPhone prospects, well-regarded analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is of the mind that the real iPhone super cycle will get underway later this year when Apple releases its 2018 iPhone lineup, which will include a 6.1-inch device with an edgeless LCD display. According to reports, the device will cost somewhere in the $ 700 – $ 800 range and will provide users with a way to get an iPhone X styled device without having to shell out a minimum of $ 999.